THE. DOBBINS LIFE BOAT Captain D. P. Dobbins, Superintendent in the United States Life Saving Service at Buffalo, a few years ago designed and had built, under his own supervision, a life-boat which is self-righting, self-bailing, self ballasting and insubmergible, besides possessing great strength, and of very moderate weight, which contributes greatly to its utility, being easy to launch, and to pull through a surf, as well as being swung with great ease at a ship's davits ; or, if need be, pitched from the deck of a vessel into the water, where it immediately rights itself,, and can carry twenty-five to thirty-five persons out of danger, or if properly controlled, one hundred human beings can be kept afloat by it. The inventor's 'ingenuity, linked, as it undoubtedly is, to a broad generous spirit of humanity, has been amply rewarded by the com plete establishment of all the advantages he stated his boat possessed.
Under every possible .circumstance that could happen, his boat has triumphantly maintained its superior excellence in every point, so that it is not surprising the United States Government has patron ized this worthy and patriotic officer's valuable invention by 'ordering many of his boats for its Life-Saving Service; and our Canadian Government also, having indisputable superior ity, has purchased from Captain Dobbins; andthese have, after repeated severe tests, proved thoroughly reliable.
Captain Dobbins had learned from long experience what a, life boat really sho,uld be to deserve the name, and for many years studilid carefully how to, produce a boat possessing necessary qualities. Though it took much time, much labor, and of money, making experiments, the object so earnestly and patiently sought for was at length accomplished ; and, as Captain Dobbins has Secured letters patent for the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, it is safe to predict that, as the virtues of the boat becomes known, the invention will prove a valuable one. . The captain's general genial qualities are so widely known, that it may be safely said he is one of the most popular men in America.
The illustration on page 118 shows the life-boat on its transport waggon, which is also Captain Dobbins' own invention.
Descriptive Particulars.
Length, 26 ft. ; gross weight, about 2,000 lbs. ; carvel-built, of best clear Norway pine. The buoyant ballast, made of sheet-cork, water proofed, fills the hold beneath the water-line, solid to the exclusion of air or water-space, renders the boat absolutely proof against staving, leakage or crushing—in fact, a cork boat inside a wooden shell. It is con structed with air chambers at each end. They are entered through the man-holes and water`-tight doors, and in them females, invalids and children may be put to protect them from exposure ; benches for the stronger sex are also placed between the thwarts on each side.
The air-chambers with the ballast right the boat immediately, if capsized, while the water flows off the deck through the automatic waist-ports in a few seconds.
Another illustration (page 122) shows the Dobbins life-boat under sail. It is provided with " partners " and " steps " for two masts, on which to set suitable fore and aft lug sails for use in long distance or outlying shoal cruising.
The boat is built, under Captain Dobbins' personal supervision, by Messrs. Wm. Hinckson Son, of Buffalo, N.Y.
A Remarkable Test.
"In saving the crew of the Zack Chandler the life-saving crew of Cleveland demonstrated in a most emphatic way that the Dobbins life boat is all that is claimed for it. The Chandler went ashore during the terrible storm of last Monday morning, about fifteen miles east of the Cleveland station. Captain Goodwin, the life-station keeper, being notified by telephone, engaged a locomotive and two flat cars to take his boat, waggon and beach apparatus to Noble, a station about one and a half miles from the wreck. A shot line was fired over the vessel, but her crew were too exhausted to haul out the whip line. Then the life-boat was dragged on her bottom down a bluff bank of clay and boulders to the water. In thus dragging her and launching her over the rocks her bottom was badly used up- practically destroyed. Capt. Goodwin and his men knew their boat —that she would float without any bottom planking at all. They rowed to the vessel, the wind blowing about forty miles an hour and tremendous seas running, and brought the exhausted sailors safely to shore in a Dobbins boat with a stove bottom.
" Such a test of a life-boat was probably never before made. It shows conclusively that the Dobbins boat is insubmergible, no matter how badly she may be stove. The result would have been the same if there had also been holes knocked in her sides. These boats have shallow hold, which is stowed solidly with water-proofed Spanish cork and covered with a strong deck. This makes them absolutely unsinkable. Their self-righting, self-bailing and other excellent qualities need not be mentioned here. Our fellow-townsman has good reason to feel proud over this achievement of his untiring labors in behalf of humanity." Before closing this chapter, I wish to bear my testimony to the immense value of Captain Dobbins' most successful invention. I can consistently say, after an experience of nearly twenty years in the mercantile and life-saving services, that the Dobbins life-boat sur passes all others—in fact, it is a marvel of naval architecture. To Captain Williams, of the Buffalo Life-Boat Station, and his gallant crew, I am personally indebted for many acts of kindness during my sojourn there. To John L. Hornberger I also acknowledge my indebt edness for numerous acts of friendship.